The Ferris Wheel
by Silent Swordmaster
Summary: The Nimbasa fairground brings back unhappy memories for one girl in particular. When her best friend tries to console her, feelings begin to emerge from them both.


**The Ferris Wheel**

"What's the matter?" Black asked.

"I was just thinking," White replied.

It was after nightfall in Nimbasa City. Passing the fairground on their way to the Battle Subway, Black and White gazed at the lights that lit up the city like a giant concrete Christmas tree. White had paused and was staring toward the fairground, specifically the gigantic Ferris Wheel standing above all of the other attractions. Black studied her face. It was full of nostalgia and sadness. He had a feeling he knew what she was looking pensive about. After all, she had traveled with him since they both left Nuvema Town some months ago, and they had been through a lot. "About what?" Black asked.

"Oh, don't worry about it," White said quietly.

"That doesn't sound like something I shouldn't worry about. I thought we were going for another streak at the Subway but it looks like something's taken the wind out of your sails."

White sighed. "It was something that happened a while ago," she said, "before you became Champion."

"That wasn't that long ago," Black chuckled. He tried his best to downplay the fact that he was Unova League Champion now especially because he regarded White with a higher respect than he did himself or even Alder, the previous champion. White was a hero. She had the power to summon the legendary Pokémon Reshiram and with that power, she saved Unova from Team Plasma.

The battle between her Reshiram and N's Zekrom was frightening. The clash almost took the castle down on top of everybody inside. While White kept N occupied, Black took on Ghetsis, who revealed the truth about Team Plasma's goals. When they had won, N and Zekrom left the castle and Ghetsis disappeared. Since then, White had been less than enthused about battling and Black had to drag her to the Battle Subway.

"Is it him?" he asked.

"Who?"

"N."

"Oh," she said. "I guess I'm wondering what he's getting up to."

"Probably flying around the world. I know I would want to leave Unova if I was responsible for a fiasco that big."

"He wasn't responsible for it!" she cried. "Ghetsis used him!"

"I know," Black said, "but he was still wrong. That was why you stopped him."

"I thought he was someone like us," she said, "someone who understood what it means to really love one's Pokémon."

"Well, he did. I know that, but he was a king who couldn't rule a kingdom. His soldiers followed Ghetsis' orders, and he had other plans." Black looked ahead at the Ferris Wheel and asked "Why do you keep looking at that thing?"

"That was where he first told me he was Team Plasma's king. I... I really didn't know what to think when he said that."

"I know. It didn't make any sense. That was how I figured it all out."

"You knew all the way back then?" White cried. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't a hundred percent sure," Black replied. White looked away from him and back toward the Ferris Wheel. "Did you like him?" Black asked her.

"I..." she paused. "I don't know. I think, more than anything, I felt sorry for him. I felt sorry that he was molded into what he is by Ghetsis just so he could be a figurehead. I didn't think he was right," she said, "but I wanted to believe there was more to him than just being the face of Plasma."

"I think he himself is only now figuring that out now," Black said.

"You just have to be so smart, don't you?" White sneered.

"Don't you remember? You're the brawn. I'm the brains. You said so yourself after we left Nuvema Town."

"And yet you're the Champion now," she said disappointed.

"Only because you weren't the one I battled," he said, trying his best to perk her back up.

"So I'd be able to beat you easily, is that it?"

"We can find out someday," Black said. "In the meantime, why don't you and I go ride the Ferris Wheel?"

White didn't like that idea. The last time she went near that thing, she had her hopes shattered. Maybe she could convince Black it was a bad idea. "What about the Battle Subway? We were going to continue our streak."

"It can wait. I have something important I want to talk to you about."

"Well then tell me now," she demanded.

"Okay, I will." He took White's hand in his own. "White," he began, "we've been friends since we were kids. We've been traveling together for months and it's been the best time of my life."

"Black," she said, "you're scaring me."

"It's not bad," he chuckled. "In all that time, I've had no greater pleasure than raising my Pokémon alongside yours and learning to be a trainer alongside you. Heck, we even saved the world together!" That got a smile out of White. "I guess I'm trying to say that I realized how much I care about you early on and I was just afraid to voice it."

"Black? Are you saying..?"

"Yes, White. I love you."

White stood there in front of him, her mouth agape but her hand still connected with his. Suddenly, she tore her hand away from his and slapped his shoulder with it. "You idiot!" she cried. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"What? I... I didn't think you'd want to be bothered with it."

"I wouldn't want to be bothered with it? What does that mean? My best friend loves me and he thinks I don't want to know? How selfish do you think I am?" Black could see a few tears running down her cheeks.

"White, you're not selfish! You're right, I should have told you sooner."

Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him very tightly. "Because I love you too!" she cried.

"Y... You do?"

"Of course I do! You're my best friend! My other half! I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"Really? I... didn't think... "

"You've always been there for me, guiding me and comforting me when things go wrong! How could I not love you?"

"I thought you felt this way about N," Black said.

White sighed. "Maybe at one point I thought I did, but the fact is, N isn't like you. He's overconfident and overzealous. I think my fascination with him was just my desire to bring him out of his world of daydreams. I know that you are thoughtful, considerate, and... you're real."

"White, I... I don't know what to say."

"Just promise me this, Black," she said. "Promise you'll never leave me alone. I couldn't live without my other half."

"I promise, you'll always have me, White." She loosened her grip on his neck and brought her face around to meet his. Then she leaned upward and kissed him gently on his lips.

When they separated, White smiled her mischievous smile and said very coyly, "Now you're all mine."

"I was already all yours for a long time," Black said.

They stood there gazing into each others' eyes for about a minute before White asked "Still want to ride the Ferris Wheel?"

He took her hand in his again and gave her a silent nod. White beamed and they ran toward the fairground. When they sat down in the car, White leaned her head on Black's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Black?" she said.

"Hm?"

"Thank you, Black. I love you."

"I love you too, White."

And with that, they sat there smiling as the Ferris Wheel took them to new heights.

**The End**


End file.
